What Doesn't Kill Him Makes Him Stronger
by LacedWithIce
Summary: Dash is kicked out of his house and is taken in by none other than Danny Fenton. Dash doesn't know what to do, but soon discovers some interesting facts and feelings he may have buried within. DannyxDash EDIT: I am now issuing a warning for cussing, bullying, depression, and of course, violence. Blood as well in fight scenes... R&R is appreciated but not mandatory. I don't own DP.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Dash had never thought of himself as weak. He was captain of the football team, quarterback to the number one team in the state, and most popular guy in Amity Park. As a Baxter, he came from good looks, old money, and an air of superiority.

But with the name, came the temper.

He had snapped, lashing his tongue to his mother and raising his fists to his father. He hadn't meant to fight with them, but he felt so much better after it was over...

Until his father threw him out.

Now, here he sat, in the only park for miles, with his knees drawn to his chest and his hands stuck in his wind swept, blonde hair. If anyone asked him if he'd been crying, he would have lied and said no, that his allergies had kicked in or some bull shit like that. He paced his rapid breathing, trying to calm his rushing heart, as the wind picked up and a chill set in. Dash was cold, his face numb from the constant roll of icy air flowing over his tanned skin.

The sky was darkening steadily, and clouds spread over the furrowing sunset. Rain began to dribble from the sky, slow at first, and then a down pour, coating the ground in a layer of muddy soil and puddles.

Dash curled farther into his ball of limbs, resting his head on his knees and letting out a small sob. He choked back the stream of cries that were pooling inside of his chest, not knowing where to go, what to do, or even what had happened scared the living daylights out of him. He'd never been in this situation, with no where to go; no shelter, no food, and no one to talk to.

None of his friends could help him right now, with tomorrow being the last day before winter break. Kwan was already gone on vacation, and none of the other jocks were really even worth visiting. Dash felt.. Alone, in lack of terms.

"Uhm... Dash?" a voice whispered from only a few feet away from the blonde. He jumped, falling back onto his already rain-soaked jeans. He gazed up into an eerie set of familiar ice-blue eyes, halfway covered by jagged, coal-clack hair that stuck up here and there. Danny Fenton stood in front of him, peering down with his head cocked to the side like some poor puppy.

Dash didn't bother to wipe the tears from his own dark blue eyes, knowing that the rain would mask any sign of them on his face. He scowled the best he could at the boy, but his emotions were in so much turmoil that he could only look away, asking, "What do you want, Fenton?"

Danny kneeled down, resting his elbows on his knees as he examined the jock. Dash glanced to the side, taking in the way Danny watched him. Dash shook, clenching his eyes and pulling his letterman jacket closer to him as a sudden rush of wind chilled him further. When he opened his eyes again, he noticed how Danny wasn't wearing his usual t-shirt/jean combo, but instead had on gray wife-beater, and a pair of sweatpants.

"What are you doing out here, Danny?" Dash asked, his eyes narrowing.

Danny bit his lip, then extended a hand to the blonde. "I'm helping you."

_Uhm... i don't really know where i'm going with this... but I have a few chapter up... its a fanfic for DannyxDash.. so uhm.. rate I guess :P Until next time (hopefully)_


	2. Chapter 2

Danny led Dash to a car parked on the opposite side of the park. It was a crappy old model, with chipping black paint and ugly, cloth seats, but it was dry and warm.

Dash was hesitant to climb into Fenton's car, but after another burst of wind to his already crisp skin, he climbed in, pouting as Danny cranked the heat up as high as it would go.

"Take off your jacket." Danny ordered, reaching into the backseat and grabbing a towel. He handed it to Dash as he removed his letterman, wiping his arms off with the fuzzy material. Danny cranked the shift, pulling off of the curb and into the almost deserted street. He drove for a while, his headlights on bright and the windshield wipers on full blast. Dash didn't say a word as they got closer to the towns main square, were the intersection between everything in Amity Park was. Danny took a right, breezing through a yellow light and onto a rain tinted street.

"Hey," Dash said, leaning forward. "My house is the other way."

Danny kept driving, his expression unchanging. "I didn't say I was taking you to your house." He turned the corner, slowing down as he pulled into the drive way of Fenton Works. The humongous brick structure was embellished with beaming neon signs, casting green shadows over the front yard and street. Danny stepped out of the car, beckoning for Dash to follow. 'What other choice do I have?' He thought.

Stepping into the Fenton household, Dash squirmed in the warm air. Danny took a few steps towards the stairs before turning to see Dash still at the doorway.

"Uhm... Come in." Danny said, taking a few more steps up the stairs.

Dash stared up at him. Why is he doing this? What does he have to gain?

He followed in spite of his thoughts, walking up the stairs in his squeaking converse. Dash gazed down the spacious hallways and endless doors, wondering how all this space could fit in here.

Danny stopped in front of a door, escorting Dash inside. It was a spare room, with a blue bed and matching curtains. Danny crossed to a tall black dresser, opening it and grabbing a fistful of clothes.

"Here," the black haired boy said, throwing the clothes to the jock. "The showers down the hall to the right."

Dash held a tshirt to his chest, seeing that it wasn't as puny as Fenton's little frame. "Who's clothes are these?" Dash asked, curiosity picking at him.

Danny paused midstep, gazing back at the tidy room with something new in his eyes. He shook his head, sighing, and turning back to the hall way. "Don't worry about it." And with that, he left Dash alone.


	3. Chapter 3

After the shower, Dash felt a little better. He wasn't shaking, wasn't ready to burst into tears... He was.. Good. He walked down the hall, trying to work his way through the long maze of corridors.

He came across a door adorned with toxic stickers and keep out signs, thinking, 'definitely Fentons.'

Dash pushed the door open, seeing a room that wasn't neat but it wasn't dirty. There were clusters of books and bits of clothing on the plain carpeting... The walls were bare besides a few outdated posters. Nothing in the room seemed to be used much besides the bed.

But Dash couldn't really focus on any of these... His eyes were caught on Danny, who stood bare backed in front of the open window. There was a light breeze drifting in, and Dash could see the goose-bumps rising on Danny's skin. Dash almost dropped his jaw when he saw the well defined creases on the boys abdomen. Danny had... Muscles. He had the faint outline of a six pack and well sculpted curves curled across his chest. Dash couldn't believe what he saw... Is this what Danny was hiding under his baggy shirts and jackets?!

He turned then, noticing Dash. "Oh, you're out." Danny walked over to his bed, grabbing a wife beater from off his dresser and slipping it on. He had on a pair of black jeans that were a few sizes too big on him. His hair was dry now and pushed out of his face, and Dash could see the all too familiar outline of a bruise...

Coincidently, the shape of his own fist. Dash stared at it for a long time, his eyes hollowing as he studied its dull black color. How long ago had he hit Fenton? Weeks? Almost a month? And the mark still wasn't gone?

Dash shrunk in on himself, his feelings narrowing down to the hopelessness he'd felt before. He was a senior now, and had always picked on Fenton to relieve his stress. He didn't do the stupid, stereotypical stunts like shoving him into lockers and trash cans anymore, but contented himself with bruising and battering the poor boy. 'Have I ever thought about whether or not I was actually hurting him, or was I just thinking about whether or not I felt better about myself?

Danny blushed, flipping his hair so that his bangs hung over the mark. "Come on," he breathed. "Lets get some food in-"

"Why are you even bothering?!" Dash snapped. He turned his gaze towards the shorter boy, growling low in his throat. "Don't you understand the hell I've put you through? I've beaten the shit out of you how many times now? And now you're helping me?" Dash pinched the bridge of his nose in between his fingers. "Just... Drive me home, okay?"

Danny strode over, looking up into the blondes tear rimmed eyes. "I heard the yelling, Dash. You're not going back there tonight."

Dash wanted to sink lower to the ground, but Danny pulled him over to the bed, sitting him down on its edge. Danny, rubbed Dash's back awkwardly as Dash sat there. "I know what its like to-"

"What the hell are you talking about? Do you know what its like to have your parents pressuring you into a college you hate? To kick your ass because you're wrong, no matter what? To hate you because you're-" Dash cut off before he said too much... He was going to say "gay"... But he couldn't tell the loser he beat up... No. The person he used to beat up know that he was homosexual... What would everyone at school think?

Danny sighed, squeezing Dash's shoulder. "I understand more than you know."

Danny got off the bed and walked to the door. "If you decide you're hungry, I'll be making us dinner in the kitchen."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Danny stopped at the door, resting a balled up fist on the white frame. He turned back to the jock, his blue eyes hard, his black eye luminous under the reflecting fluorescent lights.

Dash felt as if he were seeing for the first time, as if the rain had washed away an invisible curtain that had been distorting everything; Dash thought back to the ride to Fenton's, remembering the flash of lightening and the beautiful, eerie hues that he hadn't noticed before. He loved the ripple of the AC on his skin in the confines of Danny's car, and the scent of Danny all over.

Dash shook his head, seeing Danny staring at him. Danny was skinny... Maybe too skinny for his health to be okay. Dash saw the boys posture, like it was _tired. _He was pale, with dark rings under his radiant blue eyes. Maybe Dash hadn't paid attention a lot, but was Danny not always like this? Didn't people mock him for the faintness of his skin color?

"How do you not think I understand that?" Danny murmured.

Dash stared back at Danny, his face eerie in the faint florescent light of a lamp. He watched the quiver in the boys lip as his muscles seemed to tightened under his thin shirt. "W-what do you mean?"

"You don't think me parents pressure me into a career I don't want to be in? You think ghost hunting is my number one choice for after highschool? Do you not think they try to beat some sense into me, or did you honestly think you were the only one using me as a punching bag?" Danny was breathing hard and clenching his teeth. Dash sat dumbfounded, staring at the boy who had never tried to retaliate against any of the beatings.

Dash started to say something, but Danny exploded. "Shut up!" I slammed the door that he had half opened closed. Danny's chest rose and fell rapidly, and his face had reddened a few shades. Danny strode over to Dash, yanking the blonde up by the front of his borrowed shirt. Danny stood nose to nose with Dash, and the jock realized that he wasn't as tall as he thought he was.

"Why do you think I brought you here, Dash?" Danny asked, lifting the jock up higher by his shirt. Dash felt his bare feet rising from the ground, until nothing was touching the ground except his toes. Was Fenton really this strong?

"Probably to teach me a lesson." Dash croaked, pulling on Danny's wrists with his hands, trying not to panic as he lay in the will of the boy in front of him.

"Wrong." Danny scoffed, dropping Dash to the ground. He lost his balance, falling back onto the bed behind him.

Dash didn't know what to think as Danny leaned over him, pushing blonde locks that had strayed onto his forehead back. Danny very tenderly pressed his lips to Dash's, leaning into him for a few quiet seconds. Danny broke the kiss first, standing up, leaving Dash on the bed in shock.

"Thank you." Danny said. "for not leaving me alone."

He turned and left the room, and Dash heard as he walked slowly down the stairs and into the main part of the house.

Dash could only sit there and think... "What the hell?"

I'm really sorry its taking me so long in between chapters! Please be patient, and I love the comments you all are leaving! :) they're wonderful and really make this story worth while.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

The room seemed awkwardly silent. Dash looked around, gazing at the bare walls and listening to the steady beat of the storm that still brewed outside the brick building. Dash sat up, running a hand through his damp hair as he tried to straighten his buzzing thoughts.

Danny just... Kissed him. Dash's face heated at the thought, and he cursed under his breath. How could Danny just lay that on him out of no where? How long had he felt that way? Why hadn't he talked to Dash about it sooner?

Dash stopped, realizing that he'd never given Danny a chance, between taking his anger out on him and downgrading him, Dash had never truly listened to anything the teen had ever said.

The warmness of the room was turning rapidly around Dash's head, setting a thin layer of sweat onto his forehead. Dash stood, balancing his weight as he leaned onto the messy dresser.

And then a thought swam into his head... Had he actually... Enjoyed... That kiss?

A crash from down stairs startled Dash, and he set his eyes on the door, expecting someone to burst through. He waited, but nothing came but angry screams from down stairs. The blonde ran to the door, pulling it open and darting from the room. He sprinted down the stairs, nearly slipping as he rounded the corner at the bottom and broke into the living room.

Where's Danny?

Dash saw a glimpse of a figure pass by the door to the dining area, and froze. It was a ghost, in the Fenton's house. His metallic, black suit glinted against the walls as he chuckled at something.. Or someone... On the ground before him.

Where's Danny?

Danny's mangled scream rang out then, and a blinding neon green ray flashed through the house. Dash ran to the kitchen door way, but what he saw wasn't the helpless Fenton laying on the ground... Instead, Dash saw the Phantom... Danny Phantom, poised in front of the flame haired ghost, holding his stomach as blood leaked around his gloved hand.

Dash stared, starry eyed, at the town hero, as he pounced onto the skeletal ghost. Their bodies mangled together as they were wrestled to the floor. Dash watched as both of their blazing green eyes shone with hatred as they slashed and blasted each other.

Phantom's hands slipped to his waist, were he pulled a cylinder from one of the loops. He kicked at his opponent, straddling him as he pushing the hunter to the ground. "Not this time, Skulker." Phantom said, removing the cap from the thermos.

"Thats what you think, ghost child."

Dash almost screamed when Skulker pulled a knife from a wrist-sheath and plunged it into the boys stomach. Phantom fell backwards, and Dash watched as his idol crumbled on the ground. He didn't know it was possible for ghosts to bleed... But there he was, Danny Phantom, lying in a building pool of his own blood as Skulker stood over him with a smug smile on his rotten face.

Dash dropped to his knees, grabbing the thermos that had rolled from Danny's grip into his own shaking hands. He pointed it at the bulky ghost, and with a snarl, pressed the button.

In a few seconds, the ghost was gone, and Dash found himself leaning over the Phantom's mangled body. Dash didn't know what to do, or how to treat an injury like this. Fenton probably did.. But...

Where the hell is Danny?!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

Danny could barely feel anything. He was numb all over; his entire body nothing but a tactless cloud drifting along a place he couldn't even see. His eyes were wide open, but the shapes and colors before him didn't make sense to his jumbling mind.

Why was he hurting so bad? He'd been stabbed before, he'd been beaten and worked down to the bone... Why was a few puncture marks in him making him crash so easy now?

A flash of lightening-white pain erupted across his skin, sending all of his senses into an uproar. He smelled the metallic swing of blood and the raw lemony scent of his mothers favorite cleaner. He could feel his body heat leaking out of him in a thick stream of blood. There were shaking hands on his stomach, pressing down into him with too much strength for comfort.

"Phantom... Phantom... Please..."

Danny couldn't see who was pleading for him, but he knew right off that it was Dash. His rough, coaxing alto voice drifted into the swirling pool of his mind. Danny couldn't stand the uncontrollable pain that was ricocheting off his bones, and the fainting colors melting around him were only making his head ache grow stronger...

Everything slipped away...

Dash held his breath as the Phantom's eyes slipped closed and his entire body seemed to slump to the side. He pressed the towel harder to the wound, soaking the fabric with the scarlet red liquid. "Phantom... Phantom, wake up!" Dash kicked away the knife that he had pulled from the boys stomach, lifting the white haired boy from the ground and into his arms.

The ghost boy let out a small breath, and with a quiver, relaxed. Dash jumped as a bright blue circle appeared around the boys waist, carrying itself over the length of his body from stomach, to head and toe. Dash let out a small gasp, his eyes widening and his jaw dropping as he took in the figure in his arms.

"D-Danny?" Dash felt a knot tighten deep inside of him as he gazed down at the mutilated body; it had bruises and scrapes and blood streaks all along its contours, and Dash had no clue how to make it better.

I'm sorry its a bit short, but I uploaded it incase I can't work on it again before tomorrow evening... anyway, here it is.. I know its not at its best right now, but its getting there xP

Thank you so much to all of your wonderful comments :) I'm relatively new to the site and don't know if I can respond to the reviews... I tried once, but I don't know if it worked or not.. so please bear with me. The inquiries are very interesting and inspiring as well, so please, don't stop~

Thank you so much for the people who have stuck with me this far, and I hope you all and enjoying yourselves as much as I am.

3~LacedWithIce


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

_"Danny Phantom is... Fenton."_

_"... And he's dying in my arms."_

Dash's thoughts were running rampant, bucking out from under him and leaving him motionless and unsure. Again, he looked helplessly down at Danny, his skin paling as the trickle of blood continued onto the white tile floor. Dash pulled the borrowed shirt off, replacing the ruined dish towel with its course material.

"Danny, Danny.. You need to wake up... I don't know how to fix you!" Dash sobbed, running a bloodied hand across Danny's forehead, mmoving straying pieces of his bangs. The black hair fell back, showing the fading black eye and a new scratch from Skulker. Dash pressed his hands down a bit harder, trying to stop the bleeding.

"D-Dash..."

Dash's eyes flashed to Danny's eyes, that were now open. The once vibrant and ice like blue was now dulled and milky from the body's exhaustion. "Danny!" Dash sighed, trying to tell himself that everything would be okay now that he was conscious.

"Get me... To lab..."

Danny flinched, biting his lower lip as Dash adjusted him to a carrying position. Dash picked him up wedding style, carrying him to where he knew the lab was. He remembered being in the lab the last time, as a tour from Jazz, that he'd been forced into by his teachers. Now he thanked the heavens he'd accepted.

Dash was careful, leading Danny's little frame down the slim staircase and into the basement laboratory. The blonde layed Danny on the floor, kneeling beside him and whispering, "Now what, Danny? How do I fix you?"

Danny was quiet for a few moments, and then stuttered, "Get n-n-needle... B-blue one." His dirtied hands lifted to point at a certain section of counter that was set a part from the rest of the cramped work area. Dash fumbled with multicolored syringes, finally finding one with a sickly, sky colored liquid inside it.

Dash hurried back to the raven haired boys side, cradling Danny's head in his free hand. "Is this going to hurt you?" Dash watched Danny's face as he panted. Danny pushed himself up, his muscles shaking and his teeth grinding together with the effort.

"Maybe." He wheezed, taking the needle from Dash's hand.

Danny took Dash by the shoulder, his hand resting on Dash's bare skin. "As soon as the liquid is in... I need you... To turn on portal... And throw me in."

Dash watched him, his eyes as wide as dinner plates. "Danny, no.. There has to be a better way-"

"No. This will work." He gave a weak smile, "Trust me."

Danny lifted his tattered shirt, exposing his shredded stomach. Danny rubbed a spot clean as well as he could and placed the needle to it. "I'll be in the portal for a few days..." He said, a bit of his composure and strength returning as his breathing stayed steady. "Stay here if you want... My parents will be gone for a few weeks." Danny slid the needle into the toned part of his abdomen, not even wincing.

Dash picked him up, carrying him closer to the portal. "Don't worry, Dash... I'll be fine."

Danny squeezed the plunger, and Dash watched as the silky substance disappeared under Danny's skin. Dash pressed the button to turn the portal on, like Jazz had done, and walked to the swirling entrance.

Danny pulled the syringe from his side, dropping it to the ground. He looked up at Dash nodded.

Dash let him go into the changing green mass.

The jock had never wanted to throw himself into the ghost zone more than he did now.

Not my best, and kinda rushed, but it was over due anyways xP Thank you all so much for the support, and thank you for the wonderful reviews :) I hate to keep leaving cliff hangers, but I'm afraid that's how it ends up ^^; please rate and review!~ :) next chapter may be up tonight or tomorrow!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

Dash sat outside the portal for what seemed like hours, Danny's blood dried and flaked from his hands and chest as the temperature dropped. Curled into a ball, the jock thought of everything that had happened that day... The argument with his parents, him getting kicked out, the hopeless time spent crying in the rain...

And then Dash half-smiled, thinking of Danny showing up to save the day. It seemed he was always saving the day... One way or another.

How had he not seen it before? Danny was Danny-fucking-_PHANTOM!_ No wonder Danny was so built, fighting ghost's could apparently make someone who everyone thought was a nerd into a sexy-...

Dash stopped, his eyes widening. Had he just called Danny sexy? Well... Yes... He did... Because he was. Dash thought back to entering the room after his shower, seeing Danny standing there with only his sweats on... It was almost _delectable _to look at him. The toned muscles and gentle curve of abs made Dash's mind ache with longing._Puberty did you good, Fenton._

"_And that kiss..." _Dash bit his lip, remembering how tender and sweet it had been. He now knew why Danny was so strong, fighting ghosts and such on a daily basis... Fenton had showed that strength in the bedroom, lifting the jock nearly off the ground without even breaking a sweat. Danny was much stronger than he'd shown throughout the years. Dash came to a realization that Danny could have easily taken the jock in a fight and won...

_"And yet... He was so gentle." _Dash's face burned, and he felt the heat sending chills up his spine in the coldness of the basement-lab. Dash closed his eyes, remembering the slight press of Danny's body on his as the boy leaned over him, and the amazing feel of the raven haired boys lips on his own. His face heated then, and he bit down harder on his lip to stop his train of thoughts from going down a naughty road.

Dash sighed, staring into the swirling green vortex of the ghost portal, still not quite comprehending how he had found Danny and lost him all in about 2 hours...

He next few days passed almost like a dream. Dash could remember being there, and moving about... But he couldn't remember when, where, or why he had been where he was. Dash remembered spending a lot of time in Danny's room, taking in the sweet aroma of the boy everywhere. He slept on the boys bed, always close to waking up just in case the raven haired boy suddenly appeared.

But then his thoughts then went to a much more worry-filled course, thinking of school starting up in just a few days. How could Dash explain to his friends that he was staying with Danny? The jock breathed in, standing from his spot on the couch where he'd chosen to sit and think. But no, he thought more... He wasn't staying with Danny... Not really. Dash worried at the inside of his cheek, his teeth raking its surface as concern filled his features. Dash cursed under his breath, suddenly filled with mixing emotions that were driving his thoughts over the cliff of insanity.

The blonde pulled the front door open, stepping out into a light snowfall. The temperature had turned icy since Danny's disappearance, and Dash couldn't help but think that the weather was just matching how his insides were settling.

His red sneakers crunched over the small piles of snow, his hands in the pockets of his freshly washed jeans; His letterman jacket now dry and warm against his shoulders. Dash sighed and watched as a heavy stream of steam ghosted away from his lips. He put one of his hands against his forehead, feeling the confusion only deepen as he continued his walk.

So many questions stirred inside of him, and Dash didn't know how to focus on just one. What was he gonna do? What was happening to Danny? Why had he kept everyone else in the dark about his other identity? Why did Danny let Dash bully him, knowing that he could easily massacre the jock? Did Dash have... _Feelings... _for Danny? Did Danny have them for him...?

And what the hell with that kiss?!

Dash found his anger building more, though he didn't know why or towards what. He supposed the famous Baxter-Temper was getting his into more trouble this week then it ever had before.

Dash gazed up, finding that he was in the heart of Amity park, near the intersection that divided the entire city into its own light subsections. He could see the commercial parts, bunched with lawyers offices and clinics; business signs reigning the streetsides with special offers and life credits that people could offer to him. Across the street from him was the Nasty Burger, its entire building its own, taking in the profit of nearly everyone that lived in the area.

That's where Dash decided to go, his anger and anguish and clustered mind still rocking with uncertainty as he took a seat at one of the empty booths in the back, where he could only hope that no one would disturb him. It was funny, how in such a crowded place, one high-schooler could feel so utterly alone and helpless. He wasn't exactly sure what it was that he needed to make him better... Answers maybe... Maybe... A certain raven haired boy...?

Dash leaned back, his head resting on the back of his seat as he half sighed, half growled. How was it that he longed for the boy so much, when they weren't even friends? Honestly, the night in the rain had been the first time he'd talked to the boy alone outside of school, and definitely the first conversation where there were no insults or issues or bruises. The blonde shuddered, thinking back to over a month ago when he'd held Danny by his collar as he punched at his face and stomach.

What had changed?

Suddenly, Dash felt a heavy hand on his shoulder and watched as boisterous and red cheeked people piled into his booth. He recognized a few as his teammates from his football team, and a few as other A-lists. The hand on his shoulder was Matt's, one of the guys who was always in trouble and causing mayhem, staying on the team because of his strength alone.

"Well hey there, blondey!" Matt chimed, snickering as he scooted in next to him. His dark brown hair and dark blue eyes giving his tanned skin a bright shine. His smile was wicked and Dash could smell the bittersweet stench of Vodka on the boys breath. "You've missed _so_ much this week, man! Where've ya been?" He slurred, his eyes going bright as he watched Dash squirm under his stare.

"I've been... Around." Dash muttered, trying to ignore the heavy talk of the others in the group before him. He found his head beginning to throb as Matt only let out a loud laugh.

"Whatever man, you don't wanna tell me, thats cool." The brunette leaned onto the girl next to him, twirling a piece of her red hair around his finger. He bent his head back to Dash, his lopsided grin twisting when he said, "I heard that one of the chemistry geeks came outta the closet last week..."

Dash's heart froze as his eyes went wide. What was Matt saying...?

The brunette wiggled his eyebrows. "I say we go meet the fag, and give him a good lesson." Matt smiled, turning to high five a friend sitting across from him.

_Ah... _Dash thought. That's what they wanted from him. They wanted a leader to take them to someone and start off the battle. They wanted Dash to go start a beating on this kid, the first of many, that would probably last his entire highschool career.

Then a realization hit him hard. What would happen if people found out about him and Danny? Dash could handle himself in a fight, but Danny... He had an image to keep up, and taking more beatings that he already had as just Fenton would... Dash gasped, the rest of the thought scraping against his skull like glass... "_it would destroy him." _

Dash glanced over at Matt, meeting the boys dark blue eyes with his own. He leaned in closer, clenching his teeth as he said, "Do you have any more goose?"

The boy raised his arms, a successful smile playing on his lips. "For the taking, dude." He turned waving for everyone to leave the Nasty Burger. "Lets go get us a Dork."

_**I am so very sorry that this has taken me so long x3 I've been very busy with family matters that couldn't wait, and I hope that all of you are understanding. Thank you so much for everyone who followed this story, and I took some of your lovely reviews into mind. I was told that maybe I was taking this story a bit too fast, so this chapter is quite longer than the others and I plan to continue to write them just as long. Please keep reviewing, the comments are lovely and give me the motivation needed to continue this story :) 3**_


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 8:

Danny stepped from the portal, one of Ember's arms clutching at his waist as he stumbled from the vortex, his ghost form disappearing and revealing him into his now revived human body.

Ember helped him over to a work bench off to the side, helping him sit, and then running a hand through her electric blue hair. "Man," She breathed. "Skulker went too far this time, dude." Her light blue eyes focused on Danny as he looked up at her, a frown puckering his features.

Danny had bonded with Ember after he'd found her beat to a pulp by some of the other ghosts, treating her wounds and really getting to know her. She'd turned out to be understanding once you unplugged her ego and actually had her listen. She was kindhearted, and soon their friendship grew almost as close as the one he used to have with Tucker and Sam.

He flinched, remembering his old friends. After revealing to them that he leaned more towards men, Tucker took little to no time chasing his opportunity with Sam, and soon, they were lovebirds. Danny was happy for his friends, but they gradually began to alienate him, ignoring him and taking part in rumors that spread through the school about his crazy parents. Danny sighed, running a hand through his hair...

The last week in the portal had been miserable, as if he didn't already have enough eating at his mind; his friends in the ghost zone took care of him, the medicine he'd injected himself with leaving him in his ghost form even after passing out from blood loss. Ember had found him, floating along the pathway, and had quickly taken him to the Box Ghost, who summoned Lunch Lady, who sent for Desiree, who flew off to get Vlad, and so on and so forth. Danny awoke to nearly a dozen ghosts waiting for him to awake. He found a few mildly bruised and battered, apparently having fought of any predators who had tried to attack him while asleep.

They had kept him in GWs lair, its roomy interior the perfect hideout to occupy so many guests. Danny was treated, pumped with an ectoplasmic blood transfusion, and had been treated back into a stable condition in a few short days. He still hurt when he moved, the new blood seeming to burn inside his veins.

Danny smiled up at the fiery girl in front of him. "Thanks, Em. I owe you." He patted her shoulder, the smile staying on his face as she winked and flew back threw the portal, leaving Danny alone in the lab.

It was nightfall, and Danny was cautious as he climbed the stairs leading away from the lab. He looked around, his house the same as it had ever been, though maybe a little more suffocating as Danny thought of who he'd left in it. Danny glanced up at the ceiling, his fears from the past few days finally coming true. He had to explain things to Dash.

XxXxX

But the blonde was nowhere near Danny. Instead, he stood in the open night air, the frosty breeze biting at his face as his lips parted for another swig of the bottle in his hand. Dash wasn't nearly as drunk as he needed to be to do what he was about to... But that didn't seem to matter to him. All he really thought was, _"I need to protect us... Protect Danny." _

Dash finished off the bottle, his unclear head from before now empty and swollen, throbbing in his temple, but the jock was too far gone to pay attention. He wasn't waiting outside the library for some kid he didn't know... Not playfully punching Matt on the shoulder as he started making jokes about the "little faggot" or gratefully opening another bottle of cheap booze that another boy, Brad, offered him. He was not about to get so drunk that he wouldn't be able to remember his name or the slutty looking blonde that kept curling into his shoulder. Dash was, instead, in his own little world, flying off somewhere in a drunken stooper, to a place where he wasn't expected to be the leader of a bunch of assholes, or expected to go to a fancy college somewhere across seas...

Somewhere like Danny's car, sitting quietly while the AC prickled his freezing skin. Dash was so relaxed, sitting in the ugly colored seats, with Danny beside him. He didn't even realize that Fenton had stopped the car, or that he was about to get out. Dash grabbed at the boys wrist, pulling him back to him.

Dash saw Danny's eyes widen, his baby blue eyes reflecting his surprise. Dash cupped his face, trailing his fingers along the boys smooth, white skin... _So perfect..._

Dash pressed his lips to Danny's, feeling a jolt go through him as his fingers trailed up and into the boys hair, pressing their lips closer. Danny stood still for a moment, but then melted into the kiss, his hands trailing along one of Dash's arms and at the base of his exposed collar bone.

The jock shivered as he felt the boys hands gradually slip across his skin, gently sending goose bumps across the blondes skin. Dash pulled Danny closer, moving his hands to the boys hips and guiding him forward until he was all but straddling him. Dash teased at Danny's lips; he ran his tongue across its bottom, nipping and biting at it as Danny moaned through the gesture. Dash felt himself heating, felt himself... _Growing_... And had to pull back from the kiss to catch his breath.

But when he opened his eyes, it wasn't Danny who his hands were on... It was the blonde, her lip gloss somewhat smeared and her eyes glazed over by the kiss and whatever was in the bottle she'd been drinking from. Dash gazed down at her, his face still hot from his drunken fantasy. The girl smiled, her brown eyes combing over Dash in a way that made him want to leave, to run as far as he could from where he was...

But the vodka said otherwise, and Matt's hand hitting him on the back said that he'd done something good, something that he had been expected to do.

Dash watched as as the girl smiled, biting her reddening lip and winking up at him. He turned, trying to hide his disgust. He looked up at the stairs he was standing by, a large, shaved marble building at its top that was molded with amazing statues and king-quality molding.

The Amity Park Public Library was eerie in the chilled night air, and Dash again had a feeling of escape rippling through his muscles. His mind was clouded in a thick layer of nausea, and if their weren't shouts suddenly ringing through the air, then Dash would have turned and taken his leave, before his was forced to do what everyone expected him too.

But there were shouts in the air, and he turned to see a red haired boy step from the front doors of the library. His bangs shaped his head, his long locks waving around his skinny neck. He wore a puffy green jacket over a pair of dark blue jeans, a hat on his head shadowing a pair of thick black glasses from the rest of the group. Dash almost laughed at how scrawny he was... He was almost like a twig, so easily shaped...

Dash knew that with one good hit, he could have the boy unconscious and laying on the ground.

... It was the boys eyes that made Dash's thoughts slow to a stand still. He felt... _Pity..._ Pulling inside of his gut as he watched Matt and Brad follow the boy away from the Library. His eyed were a florescent green, almost like the Phantom's, and with that thought, Dash's entire mind forfeited itself.

Danny would be so ashamed and sickened by what Dash was doing now... But Dash had to explain to him... It was to protect him. And no matter how absurd that sounded in his thoughts, it made sense to him. Dash just had to keep playing the part as bully and not let anyone know that him nor Danny are gay, and the raven haired boy wouldn't get into any more trouble from the schools hierarchy of bullies.

Through the fog of the night, Dash's mind was made up, and he clenched his fists as he jogged to catch up to the others, his feet nearly sliding from under him as his unsteady muscles drove him over the slick frozen ground. Matt patted his back in welcome, Brad and Jason already having one of each of the red heads arms in their own. Matt hollered, a nasty, wicked laugh escaping from deep within his throat, and Dash cringed, his stomach swirling with distaste.

Dash was pushed forward by one of the boys behind him, and a wave of names streamed into the air, pricking tears to the boys bright emerald eyes. _Fag; Homo; Princess... _Dash watched as the boy shook with emotions that were coursing down his cheeks. Dash stood just in front of him, and as the boy trembled more, gasping for breath, the blonde cracked his knuckles, drawing his fist back for the first strike...

_**This one was a bit shorter that what I might have liked, but I'm hoping its still building into a somewhat interesting story... Next chapter to be uploaded soon!~ :) Please Review, and share the love/critiques x3**_


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10:

Dash's arm quivered as he held it high over his head, ready to swing it down on the hyperventilating nerd being restrained in his "friends" arms. His brows knit together, his stomach knotting together as he saw the boy give out a small sob, his teeth gnawing into his lip to stop his cries from being heard...

Dash swung, and he felt his fist meet with the boys stomach. Dash's entire arm was aflame with recognition, a feeling of dominance flooding his entire body as he heard the crying boy let out a tight gasp. Dash's brought his arm back, swinging forward again to hit the boy across the face as he heard the cheers and hollers of the people around him. Dash felt sick, but he kept on, some kind of drunken plan already in its own course. _Danny... Danny..._

"What's wrong, Aaron-boy? Had enough yet?" Brad asked, his speech slurred and his eyes dulled. The boy, Aaron, flinched away from the sound of the voice, trying to break free from the group as everyone only laughed harder, the smell and sting of alcohol in the wind. Dash watched as Aaron ripped an arm from Jason's grasp, the only thing left in the blonde's hands were one of the boys jacket sleeves. The rest of the garment was ripped from his other limb and he tried to dart away, but the boys around his were far quicker and stronger that he was.

Dash suddenly heated, his stomach trying to eject what little food he'd eaten earlier. He wanted so badly to just turn and walk away from the boy; to do something... More than anything, he wanted to whack Matt in the throat, and make that ridiculous laugh be muted... But none of that came.

"Come on Dash! Finish this faggot off!"

Dash lifted a trembling fist, that sick feeling spiking inside him until he swayed with his influenced state. He clenched his fist, gritting his teeth together as he went in for the final swing...

Dash felt something on his jacket, and with his mind abuzz with lightening, he was thrown backwords. The jock felt his limbs scrape across slicked concrete, his jeans sliding under him as he felt a white hot flash jolt through him when his head cracked against the ground.

XxXxX

Danny hadn't meant to pull Dash that hard... but when he saw the jock towering over the smaller boy, he couldn't help but be satisfied at the feeling that bloomed in the base of his neck when he tossed the blonde aside. He watched as Dash's eyes shut in pain, and it seemed as if he were going to be pulled into unconsciousness... But in a few moments, he sat up, his eyes rimmed in redness.

A blonde haired girl with a tight shirt on and her jacket sleeves rolled up to show off her manicured nails rushed to his side, grabbing his face in her hands as realization bloomed in his azure eyes.

Danny turned away from them, seeing the blonde bend in towards Dash to steal a kiss from his stunned face. He took in two brunettes and a blonde, crowding a small, petrified red-head that he recognized from school. Aaron, his thick glasses just barely hanging from his face, was stock-still, watching Danny like he was some kind of god.

Danny met the boys gaze; _he's so... Scared._ The raven-haired boy frowned, his jaw clenching harder.

"Danny...-" He heard Dash say from behind him, but he just ignored him... He _had_ to. Danny could feel his blood boiling. Was Dash really this low as to pick on another person for being gay? Danny scowled, biting his lip.

Then a thought struck Danny. Was this his fault? Had the kiss he'd forced onto Dash let loose a hatred towards homosexuals that the jock hadn't showed before? Did Dash only prey on Aaron because Danny hadn't been around to pick on?

Danny felt his back go rigid. His thoughts were ablaze with new curiosity and frustration.

A whimper from the red faced red-head brought Danny's attention to the brunette holding tighter onto Aaron's arm. Danny's eyes narrowed, and it didn't bother him that the group of a-lists were watching him. It didn't matter to him that he was about to do something stupid... It just _didn't _matter.

Danny stepped forward, yanking Aaron from the brunettes hands. The taller jock drew his arm back and swung, but Danny shifted to the right, pulling Aaron with him, as the fist flew past their faces. The blonde stepped forward, drawing his own fist up, swinging at him over and over, but Danny only dodged them, moving the shaking redhead this way and that, before grabbing one of each of the jocks fists, using their own momentum to push them to the side, and watched as they crashed to the ground.

The ravenette hadn't noticed, but Aaron had attached himself firmly around Danny's waist. Danny glanced down, feeling the boy shake as he buried his face into the taller boys chest.

Danny felt his lips part, both in anguish and fascination. Dash had been the last person he'd comforted, and that was in between the screaming and the blood shed. Danny put his hands to Aaron's back, pulling him closer as he started to turn from the people he'd just left slightly bruised on the frozen pavement.

"D-Danny...!" a shaky voice shouted, and said boy turned to see Dash, the blonde seemingly passed out against his shoulder with heated cheeks and her smeared chapstick all over Dash's lips and chin. Danny returned his somewhat fogged gaze with a neutral stare, not really sure how to talk to the boy he had just kissed not a week ago.

Dash stood still, swaying slightly as his head bobbed. Danny waited for him to say something, to say _anything_, even an insult... But the jock stayed quiet, everyone who hadn't ran when Dash was pulled back from Aaron were passed out around him.

Danny turned, leading the sniffling redhead away and into the chilled night. Snow started to fall in gentle sweeps and a splintering silence seemed to crash around the entire city. Dash didn't know what to make of any of this, so he simply let his head grow heavier, his memories already blurring in his mind, as his torso slipped backwards and made a hardened bed from the sidewalk beneath him.

XxXxX

Aaron never really was good as talking to people. He had an amazing vocabulary, due to his endless hours of studying and reading. His knowledge on things was impeccable, and was truly a gift when it came to his school work... But it didn't seem to help his social life.

That's why it was so surprising to find himself walking down the darkened streets of Amity Park with Danny Fenton, his blue eyes aglow with what the redhead could only think of as anger. The taller boys eyes knitted together in frustration, and Aaron studied his facial expression, making mental notes of the way Danny unknowingly chewed his bottom lip as he thought.

Aaron was openly gay at school... That was no secret. He'd had boyfriends, and hadn't hidden his relationships with anyone. His family knew, his classmates, and even his teachers... And everyone had their own opinion. But Aaron couldn't find it in himself to care what others thought of him.

He'd seen Danny at school. _Hell..._ He thought. He definitely saw Danny at school... The boy was famous for being a favorite target of the very same bullies that attacked Aaron on a regular basis... But he was also famous for his retaliation against them, though many of the jocks didn't know it was him. Aaron smiled as one of his favorite memories from his freshman year came to mind, relishing in the same successful feeling that he'd felt the day it happened.

Somehow, Danny had gotten hundreds of thousands of copies of photo-shopped pictures of the football team in ballerina tutu's into nearly every locker in the school. Aaron didn't know how he did it, but he knew he did. The evidence was there, though it was too long a thesis to state right 'd never told anyone, especially his closest friend, but that was about the same time that he'd started to have a rising crush for the raven haired boy.

Danny was a hero to all the "geeks" at school, Aaron included, and his stomach was a buzz with lightening bugs as he felt one of the boys hands still rested gently on his shoulder. He stopped, and Aaron looked up, suddenly worried that Danny had realized who he was and didn't want to be around anymore. But Danny only glanced up at a store front that was glowing just beside him, and he turned back to Aaron.

"Would you like something warm to drink..?" He hesitantly asked, and Aaron felt his face heat as he watched Danny look down at him. _Was this really happening..? _Aaron felt his happiness peak, something he'd never expected after getting a beating from his peers. Had the crush he had from freshman year resurfaced? "Its my treat." The boy added.

"I'd very much appreciate that..." He murmured, and together, they stepped into a small coffee shop.

Danny let Aaron order anything off the menu, and with drinks in tow, they reentered the nearly vacant streets. Danny noticed that Aaron shivered and bundled into the thin sleeves of his undershirt, asking, "don't you have a jacket?"

Realization dawned onto the boys face as he gasped. "It fell off when I tried to run!" His face fell. "They probably took it..." He continued with a pout, sadness stretching over his face. "My grandpa gave it to me."

Danny watched the boys limbs continue to shake slightly, and without hesitation, shrugged off the bulky jacket he'd had on and draped it over the red heads shoulders. Aaron tried to protest, but Danny only waved him off, saying quietly, "I'll be okay."

Aaron hadn't realized where they were walking to until he saw the familiar brick lining of his house. Aaron gaped at the structure before turning to Danny. "How did you know where I...?" His words died on his tongue as Danny only smiled, winking one of his baby blue eyes at him.

Aaron felt his face redden deeper, now nearly the same shade as his scarlet hair. Aaron climbed the stairs, nearly jumping from his skin when he felt Danny's hand on his shoulder. Aaron turned, peering up, and Danny raised his eye brows, noticing for the first time that the boys hands were shaking. Danny backed up, trying to make the boy more comfortable with space.

"Don't let those guys get to you... Okay?" His words were so soft that Aaron second-guessed that he'd actually heard him. Danny stared at him a few moments longer, turning to take his leave, and shaking his head at himself. _Why the hell do I always have to play hero..?_

Then he thought a bit longer, smirking to himself. _Playing... If only._ As his sneaker hit the sidewalk off of the stairs to Aaron's door way, he heard someone clear their throat, and turned to see the red faced boy playing with the sleeves of his long sleeved t-shirt. Danny saw the still half full cup of hot chocolate in his hands shaking as the boys nerves raked against his muscles, and Danny was almost afraid that the boy was going into a fit.

Aaron looked up, and he tried to maintain an even breathing level as he stuttered, "You know... It's pretty late... A-and Fenton Works is nearly on the other side of t-town..." The boys gaze fell on anything from Danny, and the ravenette straightened, seeing the boy stumble over his words. Danny surprised himself when thoughts entered his head of exactly how... _Cute..._ Aaron was. His wide green eyes looked worried, and his stained cheeks were covered in bundles of little freckles.

Aaron gestured behind him to his now unlocked door. "My parents wouldn't mind if you wanted to spend the night..." He grabbed at his hat with one of his hands, pulling it down over his eyes. _Here it comes..._ He thought... _What excuse will it be...?_

Aaron's hat was lifted from his eyes by a set of long, thin fingers. Danny smiled at him. "Thanks... I'd like that."

Aaron smiled, his face glowing as he ushered the taller boy in, and for a moment, he thanked the heavens that Dash and those other boys had decided to beat him up tonight, for they had been the villains to summon his own knight in shining armor.

_**Hello again :) And thank you so much for continuing to read this! ^^ I can admit that this chapter didn't turn out quiet how I wanted, and I know that its building into something that maybe a few of you didn't expect, but I'm hoping you'll ride it through, as I am, and hopefully enjoy it as it grows. **_

_**I do ask a favor...Would it be too cheesy to add Aaron to the story as a new **__**human**__** friend for Danny, so that his only friends aren't ghosts and he has someone to connect with outside of the ghost zone? I do like him, but I'm not sure other people will. I also want to somehow tease Dash with Danny building a "relationship" (friendship) with an openly gay "geek". Sooo... Thoughts?**_

_**Chapter 9 reviews:**_

_**YoDog41**_

Dash needs to beat them all to a pulp! I feel so bad for that one kid! TT ~~_**Indeed! But Dash doesn't have the backbone to stand up to the people who are supposed to be his so called friends xP But as always, its Danny to the rescue! But as Fenton this time ^^**_

_**Y**_**ourFavoriteCONTRACTOR **

i must say that i am enjoying this story. i usually don't do dannyXdash because people get too weird with it. but you've done magnificently with it. **_~~Thank you very much :) I greatly appreciate the comment, and am very glad that you are enjoying it ^^ I do agree that sometimes people go into directions with the story that I myself wouldn't venture after, but I have enjoyed many stories for this pairing.. I'm very glad that my little fanfic has joined into the small pool for this pairing. :D Thank you for continuing to read this story!~_**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11:

Danny couldn't really understand why he'd agreed to stay at Aaron's house.

Aaron had supplied him with a pair of basketball shorts with the sticker still on them to sleep in, and left Danny in a small, cluttered office to get dressed. The room was toasty, as was the rest of the house, and Danny was grateful to shed his skin of the snow dampened jeans. When he stepped out of the office, he noticed a plump, red haired woman at the end of the hall, holding Aaron's face up to the lamp light above her, and pressing into his cheek with her thumb.

"Ow! Mom stop that! I told you, its just dirt, really...!" Aaron tried to pull away, but it seemed that his mother wasn't letting up on her iron grip on his shoulders. Danny smirked, leaning up against the wall as he watched Aaron's mom frown at him.

"Dirt that won't come off?" She scoffed. "Really, Aaron, just tell me the truth. Did someone...?" She glanced up then, catching site of Danny in nothing but basketball shorts and the undershirt that he'd put on that afternoon. Aaron turned, catching sight of Danny before quickly turning back to his mom.

"Mother... This is Danny. He, uh... Rescued me, so to speak, from some jocks." Aaron's face fell as his cheeks were tinted with a light shade of rose.

Danny stepped forward, extending his hand. "Its a pleasure to meet you, ma'am."

The woman looked taken aback, but then slowly extended her own small hand, shaking his hand in return before her face broke out into a radiant smile. "Please, call me June." She beamed at Danny, and she turned towards a different hall, saying, "And what brings you here this late, Danny?"

He rubbed at the back of his neck, giving a sheepish smile to the woman. "After, uhh..." Danny glanced down at Aaron, who hid bashfully in his hands, before peering up into Junes dark blue eyes. "After what happened, I walked Aaron home, just to make sure none of those creeps came back." Danny shrugged to himself, his hand dropping to his side. "When we got here, Aaron said that I could spend the night, since I live across town." Danny looked up at the woman. "If its an inconvenience, I can-"

"Nonsence!" June said, waving her hands in front of her before putting on that big toothy smile again. "Aaron's never had a friend over before, so it just make me a little curious, is all." She scrunched up her nose and pinched Danny's cheek, drawing a smile from the teen. She turned, heading down the hall, pulling Danny behind her as she moved into the living room.

Aaron covered his face with his hands again, turning to Danny and whispering, "I am _so_ sorry." He squeezed his eyes shut, biting at one of his lips under his thin hands. Danny only laughed, patting him on the back and reassuring him that it was okay.

A much taller, heavy built man sat on a large, white couch, his dark hair and bright green eyes landing on his wife. "Is Aaron home yet-...?"

The man's voice cut off when he took in Danny's presence, his eyes widening a bit before his face, like his wife's, broke into a huge grin. "Well, what a nice surprise!" The man chortled, standing from his seat and moving over to the trio. Aaron waved at his father, putting a hopeless smile onto his lips as his parents watched him and Danny. "I'm Henry," Aaron's father said, extending his hand. Danny shook it, and the man grinned even more. "Nice grip, you got there, uhhh.."

His wife piped in. "This is Danny, dear. Apparently he helped Aaron out of another fight." June smiled approvingly at the black haired boy before her, her approval seemingly evident all over her face.

"Nice to meet you, Danny-boy." Henry said, his smile growing. "And thanks, for taking care of our little boy."

Danny glanced down at said boy, and smirked as he made a face like he could just die right there. The boy really was meek, and he flushed easily. _Very easily,_ Danny thought with a grin.

Danny smiled, his blue eyes brightening at the two adults. "It was my pleasure," He said, and he turned to Aaron, his smile deepening, and watched as the boy seemed to stop breathing. Danny chortled, his laughter triggering Aaron's parents to join in as they took in their son's flustered look.

Aaron suddenly turned, grabbing Danny by the arm and tugging him down the hall towards the stairs. "We're going to go upstairs now!" He called, half-heartedly waving at his parents. Danny's feet sunk into plush carpet as he turned to wave at June and Henry too, before Aaron pulled him out of view. The red head apologized again, yanking Danny further into the house.

He couldn't help it... Danny burst out laughing as he was pulled into Aaron's room. He sat on a desk chair, clutching as his sides as the boy glared at him, the same flustered look still on his face. Aaron slumped onto his bed, apologizing through his fingers as he brushed his bangs back from his face. Danny settled himself, leaning back in the chair.

"Actually, I really like your parents... They're nice." Danny gazed around the room, taking in the neat stacks of books, the organized closet, the evenly leveled shelves holding small keepsakes that Danny couldn't even guess the back-stories to. His eyes fell onto Aaron, and Danny had to do a double take, refraining from laughing again.

Aaron heard a choked laugh come from the ravenette and turned to Danny, his eyes wide as he cocked his head. "What?"

In all the excitement of meeting June and Henry, Danny hadn't even seen what Aaron had changed into while the taller of the two had been getting himself dressed. Danny flushed, biting his lips to refrain from laughing any further. He closed his eyes, pulling his bangs over them as he continued his giggling. Peering through his cropped hair, Danny wiggled a finger at the scarlet headed boy. "I'm diggin' those jammies on you, man."

Aaron's face filled with shock, then embarrassment, then despair as he grabbed Danny's jacket from the bed and threw it over his skinny limbs. Danny laughed, bouncing up from the chair and over to Aaron. "No!" Aaron cried as Danny tried removing the jacket, but the ravenette was much stronger than he, and soon, the jacket was thrown across the room.

Danny laughed, plopping down on the bed as he watched Aaron fidget under the gaze of his florescent blue eyes. Danny liked the look of the baggy pajama bottoms on the shorter boy, designs of animated test tubes dancing around with wide, googly eyes and their own science equipment in stick hands. He liked the slippers peeking out from under the heavy bottoms, Snoopy heads poking out of the navy blue pants... But Danny especially liked the light blue t-shirt he wore that said in big, green letters, "Q-T-3.14". Danny took his own precious time waiting for Aaron's coloring to return to normal. _What is this...?_ He thought, feeling his heart swell at the boys shy embarrassment. Danny leaned back on the bed, watching Aaron kick the slippers from his feet and push them under the bed before sitting down next to him. _Is this what 'crushing on someone' feels like?_

"If you tell anyone... I'll kill you." Aaron stated, his voice a bit higher then usual as the heat on his face continued to rage down his neck and to his hairline, mixing the shade of his face and his hair into one big mix of red.

Danny chuckled, play punching the boy lightly on the arm. "Understood, Snoopy."

XxXxX

Danny woke just a few hours from sunrise, his eyes clouded with sleep as he felt the familiar rush of blue mist escape from his lips. He sat up, flinching when he pulled the blanket back and was hit with a slight chill. Gazing around the room, he realized that he wasn't in his own room, and for a moment was scared before remembering that he was at Aaron's house, in Aaron's room.

The mist came into his vision again, and he glanced around, afraid that the ghost was much nearer than what was comfortable. Danny was about to stand, but caught sight of something that stopped him in his tracks. Aaron slept beside him, his glasses still settled onto the bridge of his nose as he sighed into the folds of his blanket. Danny smiled, turned intangible and then phased through the bed, not wanting to disturb the boy.

Danny shifted forms, having learned to control his still present powers while he was in human form. Outside, the night suffocated him with a chilling wake, and Danny had to focus his eyes onto the moving shapes beneath the street lights to even see what had triggered his ghost sense.

He sighed, relief flooding through him as he floated back to the ground. He whistled, the entire street filling with the noise as he watched to two figures before him freeze and turn, hands raised with glowing fire that whipped about and posed a threat to anyone nearby...

But as Ember's bright cyan eyes landed on Danny, she lowered her hands, the energy slipping away, and she smiled. Desiree followed suit soon after, the human form she had on disguising her deep green skin into a nice pale color, her long black hair tied back into a braid that fell to her waist band. Danny smiled, not seeing the woman as sad as she used to be, but happier, outgoing, and like Ember, one of his best friends.

Both girls wrapped their hands around Danny's neck, and he settled down, his nerves unwinding as the feeling of preparation to fight slunk out of his blood stream.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, curiosity nagging at him as to what two ghosts would be doing in this zone this close to morning.

Ember shrugged, her fiery hair disguised as just a regular neon blue pony-tail with long jagged bangs raking across her forehead. Her eccentric eye liner wasn't as thick, but still shaped her eyes like any rockstar's should. "We got bored, hanging out with Boxy and Double L kinda make me wanna barf." She stuck her tongue out, and Danny caught site of a tongue ring poking from her thin lips.

"I think its lovely," Desiree said, her brown eyes shining in the dull glow of the street light. Danny cringed, forgetting how the Box ghost's relationship with the Lunch Lady had recently hit an up-curve. He admitted that it did gross him out, but if their relationship was what was saving the people of Amity Park from having to be woken up at all hours of the night to here, "Beware!", then it was just fine and dandy in his book.

Suddenly, Danny remembered something, and glancing at his best friends, he found himself sighing. The two girl glanced up, their eyes wide and curious. Danny glanced at his watch.. Surprising himself to see that it had only been a little over an hour and a half since he and Aaron had left Dash and his friends in the snow.

Danny frowned. "Do you think you can help me move a few... Things?"

XxXxX

Dash sat on the couch of Fenton's living room, his brain swollen and sloshy with the ache of a building hangover. His knuckles were slightly burned, from what, he couldn't remember. As a matter of fact, he couldn't even remember how he'd gotten back to Danny's house, nor why he had been passed out by the front door with a sticky, cherry smelling substance all over his face. It was about 3 in the morning, according to the clock above the TV, and Dash didn't recall anything before 11...

But then he remembered, a sick wave hitting him all in one blow; The liquor, the library... Danny. The stinging in his hand suddenly erupted as he remembered Aaron... The poor nerd wouldn't have made through the night conscious if it weren't for Danny. He felt bad for whatever he'd done to that kid, feeling the shame droop down into his stomach as he stirred from the floor. Dash managed to take a shower, find some aspirin, and make himself comfortable on the couch. The jock was sore all over, and on further inspection of his body, he found light bruises on his back and legs, as if he'd stumbled or fallen more than once getting home.

Dash wondered where Danny was, and why he'd suddenly reappeared just to disappear again.

Dash gritted his teeth, lowering his head to the couch's arm... Tomorrow was going to be a long day...

_**Hello you beautiful people :)**_

_**I'd like to thank you all again for reading my fic :) I don't think I've said so, but this is my first DannyxDash fic, and wasn't sure if it would turn out okay or not. I loved the reviews left; they truly did make writing this chapter so quickly so much easier.**_

_**Though I'm glad this chapter is done, I can't say that I don't want to keep tweaking it, and can't promise that I won't in the future. I feel like I missed something's or I could have done more. However, here it is, and I plan to upload another chapter sometime tomorrow :)**_

_**further more, I thank you once more!~**_

_**Ps. thanks to my username, I now have people referring to me as Icicle. Haha, I can't say I don't like it, either.**_

_**Chapter 10 reviews:**_

_**Phantom Trainer**_

oh man, i don't know what it is, but i am entranced by this story. normally, a dashXdanny just doesn't do it for me because i find it too odd with them, but this is quite good. i love this Aaron character; i could only imagine him to be like a shy/younger version of Aerrow from the show Storm Hawks since he has red hair and green eyes too. please, keep up the good work!  
Phantom OUT! _**~~I must admit, I didn't know who Aerrow was, seeing as I've never seen Storm Hawks, but after doing some research, I agree :) I think Aaron may very well be a younger and meeker Aerrow xD I am so over joyed that you find my fic interesting, and I thank you for your review, it is very much appreciated :) I tried not to make the DashxDanny thing too overpowering, and now I have Aaron as bait :3 haha!**_

_**kathou:**_

personally, I wouldn't hate it if you pair up Aaron with Danny and put Dash as the friend XD _**!~~ I'm trying so hard not to actually pair them, but its so hard not to! x3 As soon as I got the idea to make Dash a bully again, I was like, "What if Danny has a fling with a cute little nerdy boy!1!" :o And I lost it there x3 haha, Aaron shall be put to good use, my friend, and he will have his time to shine in this fic x3 if not, then I shall use him in another!**_


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12:

June had woken early, as she always did, to a dull stream of golden light filtering in through the window. She smiled at her sleeping husband, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he dozed beside her, before climbing from the bed. Grabbing a comb from her dresser top, she brushed back her slightly waved hair, humming to herself as she dressed, like every morning, in a comfortable house dress. Her plump face and scarlet hair was aglow as she made her way down the hall. Her heart swelled over with happiness as she thought of last night; meeting any of her sons friends was always a pleasure, since he had so few to even speak of... As a fact, the only one that Aaron _had _mentioned was a complete mystery to her.

She peeked inside her sons room, her fingers gently pressing to her lips as she saw her son sound asleep in his bed, Danny next to him with his arms under his raven colored head. June had waited so long for this, to see her son finally make a friend that he could hang around and be himself with, and the woman had to turn and close the door before she gave her presence away with the bubbly giggles that skated from her throat.

With it being a Saturday, Aaron still had today and tomorrow to prepare for his classes before he went back to school that Monday. June smiled, retreating down the hall and into the kitchen, where she began to prepare a breakfast for champians for her two favorite boys upstairs, and now, her little boys new friend.

XxXxX

Danny woke to an empty bed, his head light and fuzzy from the few hours of sleep he'd had. He wiped at his face, yawning and stretching, before climbing from the warm bed. A chill ran from his bare ankles all the way up to his exposed shoulders, and he shivered slightly before heading towards the door.

A note on the desk caught his eye, and he took it up in his fingers, unfolding it and smiling at the neat, cursive writing. _Here are your clothes; they've been washed, and mom found the need to repair the seam in your jeans... (I apologize). The bathroom is the room straight across the hall, and you can find toiletries in there if so needed. -Aaron._

Danny looked under where he'd found the note, finding his jeans and shirt from yesterday, as well as a thick, fluffy towel and a washcloth. He silently thanked Aaron, realizing how much he could really use a nice hot shower to take his mind off of everything.

He picked up his small bundle of clothing, heading into the brightly decorated bathroom. The walls were a bright lime green, much to Danny's amusement, like Aaron's eyes. The towels were a darker shade, the entirety of the room different neutral colors of emerald and lime, and Danny found that the coloring rather relaxed him.

Stepping into the shower after shedding the borrowed shorts and undershirt, Danny startled as a blast of freezing water struck the top of his head. It gradually heated, and soon, Danny found himself fumbling with the knobs to cool the scorching water that combed across his skin. He couldn't help but flex his shoulders, hearing a slight popping noise as he cracked the joints in his lower back. Danny nearly moaned, the tension leaving his body as the water enveloped him in a boiling cacoon. It was so pleasurable, being able to just relax; to forget that he wasn't a normal teenager or a normal ghost, if there were such a thing.

Danny washed his hair, cleaning his body with the provided washcloth and a body soap that left him smelling slightly like a fresh, gentler version of Axe. He liked the scent; it wasn't over powering or suffocating... It was sweeter, nicer, and it smelled delicious.

Danny climbed from the shower, drying himself before stepping into his clean clothes. The fog in the room made his shirt stick to his damp skin, and Danny struggled to pull it down over his chest. He combed his hair back, seeing the reflection of his face in the clearing mirror.

Danny was so glad that his black eye had been healed in the ghost zone, not quiet sure if he could stand having his eye blemished like that anymore. It had stung everytime he smiled of laughed, like a constant reminder from two of the threats in his life. He'd been punched, originally, by Dash after trying to escape from one of his "master" plans. It hurt more than Danny had thought it would, so he hadn't been surprised to find it swelling just an hour later. He'd held that reminder for a few weeks, but the wound was regiven by a fight with Skulker...

Danny sighed, stepping from the bathroom. _Yup,_ he thought... _Just an everyday normal, teenager._

The aroma of bacon, eggs, and the sweet pinch of something sugary greeted Danny as he entered the hall way. His eyes fluttered, trying to remember the last time he had an actual breakfast, and he hastily made his way down the hall and to the stairs. As he neared the bottom, he slowed, hearing the gentle coax of laughter in the kitchen below. Danny inched around the corner, seeing Aaron, already dressed in a short-sleeve collared shirt and purple skinny jeans. June caught his eye next, a pink and yellow floral dress that reached to her knees, and Henry beside her, dancing about in long Khaki pants and a foot ball jersey. Danny gawked, his eyes wide as he watched Father and son tease each other, and the mother laughing as she watched on with approving eyes.

It was those very eyes, the sweet mixture of baby blue and white, that caught Danny peeking from the staircase. "Good morning, Danny!" She said, waving for the boy to come in. Danny blushed, having been caught spying, and made his way down the rest of the way into the yellow, tiled room.

"Morning, everyone." He smiled, still a bit quiet, as he slunk into the kitchen. He peered down at the floor, and yanking at his bangs. "Thanks for the clothes... Cleaning them, I mean... And fixing them, too..." Danny couldn't look at any of them, feeling so out of place in a room filled with a family that seemed to love and care for each other very deeply.

June smiled, her eyes softening as she watched the boy fidget. "It was no problem, dear." She turned back to the stove, turning over eggs and flipping pancakes as she shook a pan with sausage links in it. Danny's eyes widened at the sight of the meal, wondering when the last time he'd even _seen_ such good looking food. His parents weren't exactly morning people, and they especially didn't have the loving nature of June and Henry. In fact, Danny thought, his parents were much more interested in turning their children into full blown ghost hunters.

Danny inwardly cringed. _If only they knew..._

The raven haired boy was pulled from his thoughts as Aaron pulled the chair next to him out, patting the seat. Danny took the chair thankfully, chuckling at the boys enthusiasm, and smiled as Henry and June set the steaming plates and bowls onto the table. Along with what Danny had already seen, their were mounds of toast and a big bowl of fresh grits. He saw pancakes and waffles stacked to the side, and biscuits with a sweet smelling butter next to them.

Danny watched as Henry began to fill his plate, June passing a serving tray covered in bacon to her son as he tossed a biscuit to his fathers open hands. Danny was about to laugh and help himself on June's firm order to eat what he wished, but he suddenly heard an all too familiar sound.

The ring-tone he had set all that time ago upon getting his first phone was the very same that he'd had through the years, never really needing a newer phone to satisfy any social needs. Gazing behind him, Danny tried to find the phone he'd forgotten he even had from where ever it was resting then.

"Oh!" June chimed, remembering something. "I found your phone in the pocket of your jeans. I have it on a charger, just there on the counter by the oven, dear."

Danny nodded his thanks, turning from the table as he excused himself. June watched carefully as he reached for his phone, the ravenettes shoulders falling as he stared at its flashing screen. The red haired woman bit her lip when she saw Danny flip it open, and then jumped as a mans voice boomed over the speaker.

_"DANIEL FENTON!" _They all heard, and Danny jumped from his skin. _"WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!"_

Danny blushed, trying to turn away from the eyes he felt watching him. "Dad, I-"

Danny was cut off by the voice, and his body seemed to pucker in on its self. June watched, her eyes wide as she heard Danny's father yell at him. She felt Henry's hand tighten over her's, warning her to keep her cool, but she hardly noticed. Her blue eyes were mixed with sadness and anger, appalled at how anyone could talk to a human like that, let alone their own child.

"Listen, Danny. We're back in town. We've sent you nearly thirty texts, and you're somewhere sitting on your lazy ass, dilly-dallying! Get on the road, we need you at the park, _NOW!"_

Danny cringed as the phone went dead, not all that surprised that his father had hung up on him. He sighed, running a hand through his hair as he leaned against the marble countertop. Why couldn't he have the goofy, easy going parents that he'd had back in middle school, the ones that were still jokingly loving parents in his freshman year? He hated that they'd changed, becoming bitter and angry as their experiments only continued to fail. They still hadn't been able to catch any ghosts, and the Guys in White were only making matters worse. Danny just wanted to feel at ease in his own home again, with out having to be scared out of his skin every time his parent's attentions were on him.

"Danny...?"

Danny whipped around, his mind having forgotten where he was and who he had been around. He tugged on his bangs, pulling them over his eyes as he smiled at the couple. Junes face looked... Broken... Watching the boy put on a front, but Danny pretended like he didn't notice. "Sorry about that... My parents just need me to... Run a few errands." He glanced away from them as the lie slipped out, and he felt his face heat. "It was a pleasure meeting you, and I'm sorry to have to leave so soon."

He turned, slipping through the doorway to the living room and towards the side door, wanting to retreat from the house as quickly as possible. He saw his jacket, washed and folded on the back of the couch, and tugged it on as June, Henry, and Aaron rushed into the room. "Danny, wait..!"

"Sorry." He said again, his voice hoarse from the emotion that was creeping along the bottom of his stomach. He opened the door, pausing before turning around to face Aaron.

"I had fun hanging out... We need to do it again, soon." Aaron blushed, his face still in shock as Danny made his hasty departure. Aaron stepped to the now closed door, swinging it open to feel a cold draft leak in. He saw Danny jogging down the stairs and towards the East end of town. He stopped, turning from his spot in the morning sun. He raised his hands, cupping them around his mouth as he yelled, "Check the office!" before turning and disappearing around the corner.

Aaron could only stand and watch as his... Friend?... Vanished in only a few short seconds. It took him a moment to turn and close the door, watching the stunned and sad faces of his parents.

June frowned, her eyes deepening a bit as she led her family back to the table. "What a poor, poor boy." She murmured, sitting back in her chair. Aaron and his father joined her, beginning to eat their breakfast with none of the vigor they had had before. Aaron picked at his eggs, not really hungry anymore after Danny's quick exit. His mind was left with a curiousness, and a sadness at how ill-treated Danny was by his Father.

They continued their meal, nobody really eating, but picking at it here and there. The silence was deafening, and Aaron felt his happy mood from last night slowly slipping down into a slight depression. They could all feel the slight anxiety to do something; everyone of them wanted to do something... And at last, June slammed her fork down onto the wooden table. Aaron looked up, seeing his mothers reddened face as she set her lips. "We're going to the park." She announced, and her husband quickly stood to follow her lead.

"Mom!" Aaron said, wide eyed. "We can't just follow him to the park!"

June smiled, reaching above the fridge to grab a picnic basket. "No... That would be odd, dear. But a _family _going to the _park _to have a nice _family picnic _isn't!"

Aaron smiled, happy that he didn't have to just abandon Danny to face whatever he was needed for in the park. "Would you grab a quilt from the closet by the front door?" Henry asked him, and he nodded with a new determination, hurrying off down the hall to where the closet was.

_Check the office_.

Aaron suddenly turned, Danny's rushed voice lingering in his head as he opened the closet door. He tried to ignore it, to focus on the duty to be dealt with at hand, but something in him kept bringing his back to Danny's words. _Check the office, check the office... _Aaron peeked around the open closet door, his hand halfway to the quilt that lay on the shelf, to stare at the door to the office.

He looked behind him, hearing his mother climbing the stairs to change from her dress and his father apparently packing food in the kitchen. He gazed hard at the door again, debating whether he should be taking Danny seriously or not... But deciding to test it, he made his way to the office.

Aaron opened the door, seeing boxes and papers that his father had stacked in this little area for use later on. He didn't see anything out of place, or something that stood out to him as something Danny might have left. Deciding that Danny was just trying to distract him (for reasons unknown), Aaron turned to leave, but something caught his eye just as he was closing the door.

He pushed the door open, scurrying across the room. His eyes took in the small gift, and Aaron felt tears prick at his eyes. _How...?_

Laying on the top of the desk, folded neatly, was Aaron's jacket... The very jacket that, when he was 10, his grandfather had given him as a present. The same jacket that Aaron wore to his first movie. The same jacket that had been with him when he rode his first roller coaster. Aaron smiled, his brows knitted together in such sentimental emotion that he half sobbed when he laughed at what Danny had written. _Thanks for everything, Snoopy. :) -Danny_

He hugged the jacket to his chest, putting the note from Danny into his pocket, before turning and running up the stairs with his jacket and quilt in tow to throw shoes on and be on his way to the park.

_**I'm sorry that there's so much filler in this story x3 But I can't just have Danny saving the day every night...**_

_**So here's some more Aaron mush XD People have apparently taken quiet a liking to Aaron, though I promise this still remains to be a DannyxDash story... I do not promise that Aaron won't have a little bit of quirky lines and blush-filled scenes x3 So next chapter, I promise to have more Danny & Dash involvement!**_

_**Reviews:**_

_**Phantom Trainer**_

you are just evil sometimes...and i love it! using aaron as bait is gonna just...kill in general. ttyl.  
Phantom OUT!_** ~~haha, why thank you x3 I take pride in my evilness, and can admit to using my skill of badness in many other taunting fics, though this is the only one I have online xD I do hope that the whole Aaron thing doesn't literally kill... I do love my readers. xD but thank you, very very much for another review and for continuing the read! Tis much appreciated! :)**_

_**Hoytii**_

Is Danny actually feeling something for Aaron?  
Dash needs to have a chat with Danny, especially when he spit on one of Danny's BIGGEST SECRETS he trusted him with. _**~~I think he feels something towards Aaron, but he (nor I) really know where its going at this point xP I like your suggestion, and definitely plan to have Dash and Danny talk soon ^^ Thank you very much for your review :) and thank you for reading my little drabble :D**_

_**YourFavoriteCONTRACTOR**_

i personally like aaron. he has a sweet innocent quality to him without being a gary stu. i like many others am usually wary of original characters, but you've done nicely with aaron and family. **_~~Thank you very much! I really do appreciate that! To be honest, I hadn't meant to put any OC's in here, but seeing as I made Danny out to be such a loner, I thought he could use an actual friendship xP I'm glad I didn't over due Aaron, and happy that you approve :) Again, thanks for the review, and thank you for continuing to read! :)_**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13:

It wasn't all that hard to find his parents humongous RV, parked half-hazardously on the curb near the fountain. Danny sighed, wondering what he was getting himself into this time, but continued on, his hands crisp in the chilled morning air. He hated it; that sickening feeling of dread filling his insides as he walked further into the park. The park seemed deserted at first glance, but Danny knew better. The only reason his parents would call him this early would be to demand his assistance in catching a ghost...

It turns out that finding them wasn't hard, either.

Danny heard his fathers rambling before he saw him, but changed direction to jog towards the woodsy part of the park. Seeing his father in his huge, orange jumpsuit and his mother in her small teal one would have once sent a smile to his lips, but now it only produced a slight frown. Approaching them only hardened his muscles, making his nerves quiver like the strings on an untuned guitar. He really hated it. He _really_ fucking hated it. Why did he have to be so afraid to be near his _family_?

"Danny!"

Said boy whipped his head up, his blue eyes meeting with the very man who had given him them. Jack Fenton stood just a few feet away, holding an ecto-blaster the size of the broad mans arm. Danny eyed it, seeing the equally large gun in his mothers hands. Why was it always weapons? _Always _weapons. Guns and nets and rays that were built for the soul purpose to eliminate ghosts. _Ghosts like him. _

Danny cringed, knowing that if he didn't need to use those guns himself to catch ghosts, then he would have surely developed a phobia for them. They were horrible; these glowing neon pistols that could blast their way into your very core. Some of them burned just one patch of sensitive skin, while others shot through you like a wide bullet. Then their were the ones that blasted lightening (those were the ones that Danny hated the most) that felt like needles stabbing into every nerve ending you have. It was like static electricity was biting into your every blood cell, ravishing muscles and flesh until the energy had seeped away from you in just one shot... And that was with the setting on _low._

Danny's shoulder was suddenly shoved, yanking him out of his own thoughts, as a gun was thrusted into his hands. He gazed up, his mothers deep lilac eyes glaring at him through her thick scarlet goggles. "Come on, Danny. There's work to do."

Danny straightened, hoping to the heavens that this wasn't an actual job, that it was just another one of his parents crazy sweeps of the town. But all Danny could think about as he jogged back to the RV to get dressed was how much he hated, hated, _hated_ being here with his parents, instead of with Aaron and his family...

Aaron and his family all waited impatiently as their car idled along in the morning traffic. It was almost torment, with Henry's hands slack on the leather bound wheel and June's fingers thrumming together on her thighs. Aaron felt claustrophobic; it was like the entire car had been condensed, and his face was heated with the lack of air. He felt his hands twitching, and his foot tapping.

In his head, playing over and over again, was Danny's parents yelling from his phone. Aaron had gone wide eyed, his mouth hanging open in shock. The redhead had never _ever_ been screamed at by his parents. Maybe scolded of lectured, but never a cuss or a threat. Aaron shivered, wondering what it was that made Danny flinch when he'd heard his phone ring... What it surprise, or.. Fear?

The car slunk on through the streets. The traffic was heavy, or maybe that was just Aaron's impatience to find Danny that was clouding his judgment. In any case, these cars weren't going fast enough.

Aaron felt his hands shake and listened to the heavy thrum of his heart beat blooming in his eardrum. Aaron didn't know if he was more afraid of Danny being mad at him or of what his parents were in real life, off the phone. It was almost surreal, how Danny, the hero of the geeks at Casper High, was being bullied outside of school by adults, by family, by _his parents..._ Aaron sighed, thinking of the percentage of child abuse going on in America today. It was ridiculous; heart wrenching, and it sickened him.

"Aaron."

The redhead glanced up, becoming aware of his clenched fists and determined glare directed out the window. His eyes met his fathers in the rear-view mirror, and Aaron was shocked to see the same determined look.

"We're gonna help him, Hon." His mother said, and Aaron turned to see her turned in her seat to watch him. "We won't let anything bad happen to him."

Aaron smiled, nodding his understanding. He sighed, leaning back in his seat. He stared outside his window, watching buildings and trees blur by almost in slow motion.

_We're coming, Danny. Hold on._

**_Sorry this chapter is so short... I just needed this one as filler for the upcoming park scene. Also, I may edit this later to show where Dash is, but I just couldn't put something in there now._**

**_Thank you very much for your patience; I'm afraid that my schools Band Camp has recently started, and as an officer I am required to put in extra hours, leaving nearly no free time with the rest of my work to be done._**

**_I have received many wonderful reviews, follows, and suggestions. One being a private message from a name that I'm not going to reveal until I have the new story out. However, it was a story challenge for a Danny/Aaron story, and I have accepted! The story will be purely Aaron/Danny with some mention of Dash. I hope to have it up soon :)_**

**_Thank you again for following this fic! 3_**

**_New Reviews:_**

**_Phantom Trainer-_**

haha, aaron is becoming a lot like jazz was when she was trying to figure out danny's secret! following him around and being sneaky in a sense, just aaron is doing a better job because he has family to back him up. could this get messy for them? i'll have to stay tuned!

Phantom OUT! _**I hadn't noticed that, but I think Aaron is turning into a little mini Jazz xD I'm glad you seem to be enjoying yourself ^^ Thank you for continuing to follow, it means a lot to me. :) ~~ Ice**_

_**Jelloshots99-**_

I agree with kathou I would like to see Danny and Aaron as a not could you do a different story with these two?(only if it's not to much trouble.) _**~~ I have decided to make a separate story for Danny and Aaron, and have the intention of posting it within the next few weeks. That one, like WDKHMHS, will be updated (hopefully) weekly. Thank you very much for the read and review :) ~~Ice**_

_**Xana 2.0-**_

Pleas continue or make another story to it this is so cute u love this couple have Danny and Aron together there do cute **_~~ Thank you! There will be an Aaron/Danny story coming soon :) thank you very much for reading and reviewing, it truly is appreciated!_**

**_alixanderbolster-_**

continue this story please continue this story please continue this story please continue this story please continue this story please continue this story please continue this story please continue this story please continue this story please continue this story please continue this story please continue this story please continue this story please continue this story please continue this story please continue this story please continue this story please continue this story please continue this story please continue this story please continue this story please ! ~~**_Haha, I do intend to :) So here ya go.. the next chapter! Sorry, its mostly just a set up for the next chapter, but its something :P_**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14:

Danny was standing next to his parents, the bright orange jumpsuit he wore was the exact same as his fathers. It snagged in places, rubbing at his thighs and squeezing his stomach a little too much. Danny had almost forgotten how much he'd grown since freshman year; with more muscle and less lankiness... It was a miracle that all of his clothes were already a few sizes too big.

The gun felt heavy and familiar in his gloved hands, and Danny felt his fathers broad hand on his back, leading him farther into the empty park. It was eerily quiet, and Danny could feel the icy fog escape from his lips. His breath hitched as the tracker on his gun lit up for the sixth time in half an hour. He stared at the GPS, silently cursing the ectoplasm that stuck to his DNA. His father scolded him, taking the Ghost Detector from Danny's hands. "I don't understand _how_ you manage to break everything you touch." Jack gritted his teeth, tossing a handheld ghost blaster into his only sons shaking hands. This time, a detector sounded again, but on Maddie's gun, pointed towards the North end of the park.

"Fenton's! Move!"

Danny ran after his parents, his shoulders taught and his pistol pointed as he tried to swallow the blue mist that he tasted in the back of his throat. _There was actually a ghost here? His parents were actually following an actual lead? Damn._

"There it is!" Jack yelled, barreling forward over a hill. Danny followed, Maddie running in front of him with her gun aimed forward. Their view cleared, and Danny could just see the neon green of a ghosts tail slip behind a tree. Jack threw himself forward, grabbing at the pack he had slung over his shoulder. Maddie blasted her gun, and Danny had to fall back to stop himself from running back to the house.

_Gun. _

_They're ghost hunters, Danny. _

_Pain...Hurt...Blood. _

_They'll catch you. _

Run.

Everything was buzzing around him, and Danny squeezed his eyes shut. Suddenly, it felt as if the entire world was being shot to hell; Danny had been playing hero for three years, and he had learned that it truly was a thankless job. The ghosts that threatened people, that had no thoughts for how humans would be effected, had been dragged back to the ghost zone by Danny time after time... But Sam and Tucker had been the only one to truly thank him for it. Many times, he was _blamed _for them escaping and causing damage... And after a while, Danny started to believe it. He drew these ghosts here with his presence, and he was responsible for the humans who were hurt by ghosts _and _the ghosts hurt by humans. It wasn't uncommon for him to be attacked. _Hell. _It was almost his job, almost, and it was certainly more rewarding than seeing the town fall to pieces.

Danny knew he could take on his opponents, even if he ended up with a battered and bruised body. He could be beaten, he could be pummeled. It wouldn't bother him. _But God, _he flinched, _please not a gun. Not again._

That's why his insides twisted into double knotted bow ties when he heard the high pitched scream coming from in front of him. His blue yes flashed open, and Danny felt like his strung stomach was going to implode and fall from his rigid body.

Desiree was being held against a tree, her eyes wild as her long wavy curls flew about in her distress. Danny saw Jacks hands on either of her arms, the ecto-mits on and stopping Desiree from phasing through both him and the tree to safety. Maddie had her gun pointed at her, and Danny watched as his friends wide eyes filled with tears.

"D-Dad...!" He stammered, stepping forward to pull his mother away, but was shoved off, sending him to the ground. Danny watched in horror as his parents set their jaws. _Oh no._

"Dad, here! I have the thermos!" Danny got up again, trying to gain his parents attention. He saw Desiree's panicked eyes, and her lips twisted as she strained with all her strength against Jacks gloved hands.

But Danny saw in his fathers frosty eyes that he wasn't listening. His eyes looked haunted, cold, _dead_ even. It was scary and frightening and Danny couldn't help but lose his breath as he watched his father glare at his friend. "No, Danny. You need to learn that when there's something in your way, you need to take it out... In anyway possible."

Danny's eyes went wide, watching, staring, nearly tearing up as he watched his mother aim her gun at Desiree's head.

XxXxX

Dash found himself sitting in the exact same place Danny had found him just last week. So much time had passed since then, but it almost felt like no time at all. Dash had spent all of two hours alone with Danny, and he'd started to think that maybe Danny had cared for him... But surely that wasn't so. Dash had _seen_ the look on Danny's face the other night. He'd _seen_ that hate radiating off of him as he'd saved the red haired boy, fought the other jocks for the geek, and held the little nerd...

A growl rippled through Dash's throat. He'd hated seeing Danny so close to the boy, hated seeing him hold the redhead, and hated seeing them leave together even more. Dash hadn't realized how much he missed Danny being near him until suddenly... He wasn't there anymore.

So here he sat... Thinking, waiting, and trying to stop the jealousy from pulling at his gut. He'd waited at Danny's house after waking up in the middle of the night, but Danny hadn't come back. Dash had expected Danny to come back so that they could talk and fix things, but after staying up since 3, Dash couldn't wait any longer. He'd stepped from the house, not caring that the morning wind was pricking at his skin.

At the park, Dash watched the city slowly wake up, and yawned at passing birds and dog walkers. He felt restless and tired at the same time, like he could run a mile but didn't have the energy for it. It was crazy, and it sucked, but Dash couldn't help but think that maybe it was because Danny wasn't there with him.

Suddenly, there was screaming. Dash went wide eyed, his nerves locking as his head snapped towards the screech. It was mortifying, the female voice swelling in some kind of agony... And then another voice went into the mixture, one that sent Dash onto his feet and into a sprint towards the forest section of the park.

XxXxX

_"I'm going ghost!"_

**_Reviews:_**

**_Guest-_**

hey i started reading this today and i love it they story is realistic and kind of cool, questions r is Aaron going to find out his secrete is he also telling Aaron's parents, is dash going to be a problem in this story (should more in this story he caused enough trouble), or is he coning to be a helper in it, actually before we even get to that are we going to be seeing more of dash at all? anyway i love it update soon love your work. **_~~Thank you very much for reading my story :) I'm glad you enjoy it ^^ As for your questions, I'm afraid you'll have to wait and see x3 sorry to be a tease, but I'm not really one for giving a story away before its written :P However I can say we will be seeing more of Dash, and I am sorry that Dash hasn't been as present as some may want, but that is going to change! :)_**

**_Splitsanity-_**

I love this story! I so don't want it to end! I rewatched the entire series and at the end was like "NO! This is a Nocturne dream that comes with electrifying results because he kissed Sam and and wakes up to him supposed to be dating Dash!"

I will patiently await the continuation of this story! The Danny/Aaron is adorabru! So KAWAII!

Have I mentioned I love this story! Keep up the good work! (And good luck with band camp from a fellow band geek!)**_~~ Thank you so much! :) your reviews are life savers ^^ that would be amazing if the original series went from DxS to DxD! :o I never really was into Danny with her anyways, (even if she does have an amazing name). Thank you for being patient.. its much appreciated! and thank you for the awesome enjoyment of the Danny/Aaron stuff :) Thank you thank you thank you! :) and band camp sort of drained me, but i'm up and ready for the new year! :) whoop whoop! Go band!_**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15:

Danny hadn't known what else he could do, with Desiree pinned and his mother ready to strike with a fully loaded ecto-blaster...

He felt the rush as he transformed, his body sizzling as the hoops traveled over his limbs. He felt the comfortable feel of his tight orange jump suit change into his Phantom suit, the feel becoming comfortable rather than restricting.

At first, Danny watched as his parents face went from angry to shocked to dumbfounded to scared to... Danny's head spun. Danny's plan had been to fight his parents for Desiree's safety, but now, it seemed to be to get his parents to say something, or move, or _breath. _They seemed frozen in shock, and Danny wasn't exactly sure what to do in their dazed state. His father seemed to forget where they were and what he was doing; His hands slipped from Desiree, and she stumbled forward, clutching onto Danny's arm as her limbs shook in fear and anxiety.

Danny didn't know what else to do, with Desiree clutching him from behind and his parents still gaping at him... Danny felt awkward. Leaning back, he whispered at Desiree to run, and after a few moments, she did. He watched as her tail slipped over where legs had just been, and she trailed away into the tree top, leaving Danny there with his statue-parents.

Finally, his mother seemed to snap. "Danny?" She questioned, pulling her goggles from over her eyes and her hood back to reveal her plain ginger hair. Her violet pupils were huge, round with wonder and anxiety and... _Fear. _It was almost painful for Danny to look at her. His plan had failed, he wasn't fighting for his friend. He seemed to be battling for _composure_ and his parents seemed to be loosing.

"Danny." His mother said again, her voice tight and her face a mask of such strong emotion. Danny- for the first time in what felt like centuries- saw his old mother. Her face had sadness and confusion and pain, instead of the pure hatrid that had been pooling inside of her for so long. Danny hadn't noticed, but he'd been holding his breath. He couldn't bring himself to exhale, and slowly the heat in his blood bubbled onto his face. He felt himself blushing, out of embarrassment as being so quiet, maybe, but if he was truly honest with himself, he knew it was because he was scared.

There was a loud, dull metallic _thud _as Maddie's gun hit the grass. Danny eyed it, astonished, and finally exhaled. His heart pounded in his ears, and the sun streaming down through the canopy was suddenly blinding to him. The world had stopped, he knew it did, it _had to,_ for all this to be happening without another noise or movement or care.

Maddie went to take a step forward, but before she could say the words that sat just on her tongue, she was shoved to the ground. Danny scrambled with his eyes, gazing back and forth between his mother and father. Had Jack really just tossed his wife to the ground like some rag doll?

"Jack!" Maddie screamed, her eyes darkening as she nearly growled, but her husband wasn't listening. Instead, he pointed his weapon, his brow hard as the lighting played villainously along his crystalline eyes. His mind was set, Danny knew that, and there was nothing left to do but escape from the gun pointed at him. _Danny, Gun_-

Danny screamed out as his body flared with heat and white. White, white, white. Everywhere; All over. It was like it was _in_ his bones, rattling around like some kind of parasite, ripping at his skin; tearing, leaking... Ravaging his body as an electrical monster.

Danny fell to his knees when the bolts finally stopped, and he dry heaved until he felt his lungs inflate back. There was sweat pouring from his head, his brows scrunched in pain, as the entire world spun like a dime in his head. He felt nauseated, and wanted to vomit but didn't remember eating anything the last few days for him to puke.

A hand seized his neck, and he was hauled up by his tingling skin. "Man. That taze did wonders on him." A sick, mocking voice cooed. "Do it again, Mick."

_No, Mick. Don't do it again._ But Danny's inner voice wasn't going to stop the liquid hell from seeping into his blood.

It flooded him again, heavier and _stronger, _and by god, did Danny feel it. It was like red hot needles digging into every blood cell, every muscle, every _fucking_ nerve that rang and shook with the force of the electricity flailing through his body. He convulsed, his air being choked from him by a black gloved hand that squeezed harder as Danny fought the current. It was unlike anything he had felt before; worse that being thrown in a locker after being beaten, worse than getting stabbed in the stomach by an ecto-blade... Worse even then his father-

The current stopped. Danny flashed his eyes open, seeing the reflection of his own scared face in the dark sunglasses of the man pinning him to the tree. He looked ravaged, beaten, and all it had taken were two currents from a tazer gun.

Danny sucked in all the air he could, the jolts still pricking at his heart as he felt his ivory hair sizzle and spit with the current flowing over the pearly locks. Too many things were happening at once for his throbbing head. His temples ached, like they were being squeezed, and it only worsened with his parents shouts. The gloved fingers dug farther into his larynx, and he could feel a heavy knee digging into his lower gut.

_"Let him go!" _his mothers shrill voice rang out around him, the clouds on his eye lids bubbling and twisting until he could see through the haze around him. His mother lay on the ground, her hands gripping her retrieved gun. The barrel was pointed towards Danny, and for a moment, his stomach knotted, until he realized it wasn't pointed _at _him.

The air was disappearing; Danny could feel it. There was no air left.

A blast shot out around them, and suddenly, Danny was engulfed in the frame work of the ecto-ball. The blast had struck the back of the man holding him, and Danny's eyes widened in fear as the current time blurred around him. _No. No no no. Gun. Gun!..._

_The window was open and Danny could feel the heavy breeze tucking into his living room. The air was brittle and it ached with a silent scream that Danny could almost hear. He was 14, and his sophomore year was almost half way over._

_Was everything really as it had been a year ago?_

_Danny watched as his father paced the length of the room, his orange suit reflecting the bright golden rays seeping in through the windows. Jack was nearly roaring, his loud, booming voice echoing through the house like some kind of sonic thunder. The window pane shook, and for a brief second, Danny considered just changing into Phantom. He could escape that way; blend into the background and stay hidden for as long as he wanted._

_But that wasn't the case here. His father was in his face, screaming like a banshee. Danny blinked, his eyes wide but not surprised. This was the norm now; This was to be expected. The ravenette felt spittle flaking his cheeks as his fathers rampage continued, but he wasn't listening. He never listened; he blocked it out._

_Jack grabbed Danny by his shoulders, shaking him. His head snapped back and forth, and for a second, Danny was scared. He heard the menace in his fathers voice, knew that this was the anger that had been building the last few months. This was the rage, the frustration, the lack of any and all control that had been spinning around Jack Fenton._

_He snapped._

_Danny could feel the angry blasts of brutality as his fathers fists came down on him, his soft stomach and collar swelling with his pulsing veins. Danny hurt. Danny cried. Danny _screamed.

_Maddie looked on with terror filled eyes, but still, she couldn't do anything. Jack had her. He had everyone. She watched as he son was tossed from one side of the room to the other, his dark hair cracking against each of the darkly painted walls. There was nothing that she wanted more, but right then, she couldn't feel anything. Her emotions were slipping away, and the handcuff that kept her away from her son, her child, her baby... Was suddenly pointless. She wouldn't help, even if she could. She hadn't lost it... She'd just lost a reason._

_But Jack? No, he'd lost it. Danny could see no clear sign of humanity in his fathers eyes, the eyes he'd inherited, the same eyes that now looked as if they were twined with scorching red silk, drowning in black pits, the same was Danny's flashed green when his own anger pooled._

_There were stones forming in his nerves. Danny was dropping... Slowly... Quickly... Soft and hard... onto the carpeted floor. He felt dead, or maybe that was just his wishing..._

_With a whirl, Jack turned on his heel. He stalked into the kitchen, and Danny scrambled to his feet, huffing and heaving while the room grew slick and blurred. With his hand on the window sill, Danny felt a strong burst of wind burst in and over his jostled limbs. His body was battered, and he supported his weight on the window pane, fearing if he moved too much his body would fall apart like a doll with torn out seams._

_A bang to his side made his eyes dart back to the kitchen doorway. Jack burst back into the room, an ecto-blaster cradled gravely in the crook of his arms..._

He felt hands on him. Screaming. There was screaming everywhere.

Danny bounced forward, onto his feet, as the forest around him came back into focus. The Men in White were in a raging battle against his mother, four of them facing off her twig-like frame. She blasted off her hand-helds, one shot after another. "I will not let you hurt him!" she shrieked, and Danny felt his heart swell with longing.

Danny tried to stand, but his body felt stiff and tense. He glanced back at his hands. They were red and twitching and every ounce of Danny just wanted to drive himself forward on his hands and knees and _hurl._

_"_Danny?... _Danny!"_

The shout registered in his mind, but Danny couldn't really hear where it came from or who it was. His eyes kept refocusing, and his mouth dribbled a bit. There was something sizzling on him where the tazer had made contact with his skin. There were hands dragging him up, slipping him away as his mother yelled for him to run. The lights were slipping off in Danny's head, and he felt tears slipping from his eyes as he realized how weak he was. He'd never been this weak. First the stab wound nearly killing him, and now a few rocks from a tazer and he was suddenly dazed and falling off.

Danny was no hero... He was a weakling.

Danny lost consciousness as his body was taken towards the south end of the park.

_**Welp.. uhm... I'm really sorry.**_

_**I kinda got grounded... and so this whole week has been passed without my electronics. However, I'm back, and I spent every second the last 2 hours writing this to make up for the time.**_

_**I was very pleased to turn my phone back on and find nearly 30 new emails; all from fanfiction :) it makes me very happy knkowing that people enjoy both this Danny/Dash fic and my new Danny/OC- Danny/Aaron story :) you guys are amazing, and I hope you all realize that 3~**_

_**I plan to have another chapter up by tomorrow, but school has started, and we have band practice tomorrow xP So patience, please!, my lovely lovely people.**_

_**Reviews:**_

_**Snowleapard0-**_

Awww don't tell me she's dead :c that would be a bummer. ~~**_Never! :o That would be far too... unfortunate... for what I have planned for our beautiful young ghostie Cx_**

**_ExtremeYaoi101-_**

Did Danny change in front of his parents? If he did, shit is about to hit the fan. Are Dash and Aaron going to fight over Danny? That would be cool. Dash better win though, all things considered. 0u0**_ Haha xD shit did indeed hit the fan. I don't think anyone really expected for the Men in White to show up, but there were ghosts, and they hunt them... Should Dash and Aaron fight for Danny? that does have a certain ring to it that I like C: And it is a fic for the blonde and the ravenette... so of course there will be things in store for the young jock and dork :)_**

**_Guest-_**

this is really cool story, love it, i hope that you update soon but totally get it if i have to wait (cause i think you have a life, i dont know could just be me that thinks that), anyway, love your work cant wait to see the rest :) **_Why thank you so much! I'm very glad that you like my work :) I've never been too passionate about writing fanfics, preferring my own stories, but I have grown a fondness for this one. Thank you for understand, after all, I am human. The patience is much appreciated :) _**

**_gabbygirl1234-_**

Please write more! I must know what happens... **_Thank you! :) I have written more, and plan to write even more, and hopefully have it on soon :) I'm trying to make the story more appealing, so bare with me if some details slip..._**


	16. Chapter 16

Dash hadn't believed what he'd found.

Don't get him wrong... Amity park was fucking _weird..._ But not like this. The town had always been eerie; always held secrets that not everyone could truly understand... But what Dash found in the woods just may be the weirdest thing yet.

There were men in white... Lab coats... Circled around Danny's mom, who stood over her son like a protecting wolf. Her gun blasted off, taking shots at each of the four men around her. Danny lay at her feet, sprawled out and twitching, almost convulsing, as if he were being shaken violently by something Dash couldn't see...

Dash rushed forward, not wanting to be any closer to the shining, silvery ecto-blasts, but not wanting Danny to be anywhere but in his arms.

His hair was like ivory, and his skin was just as stark. The lighting in the forest pronounced the light purple beneath the boys eyes. Dash sighed, his skin erupting with goose bumps, and nearly crying when he finally felt Danny's skin on his. He'd never felt anything like this; this needing. Dash had been with plenty of girls- most of whom he didn't remember- but none had ever made him _need_ like Danny was at that very moment.

_"Run!"_

The scream had scared Dash at first, more than the guns blasting around him and the Guys in White trying to get closer to Danny...

Picking the boy up was so familiar to Dash, so utterly and completely natural. Danny gasped and cried out, arching his back and screaming as Dash's hand hit a sore spot on his back.

Danny thrashed about, his hands shaking while his lips trembled. Getting farther and father from the guns heavy shots, Dash carried him. Danny shifted, his white hair turning dark, his streaming green eyes cooling into a deep azure. Dash hurried, but it felt wrong; it felt slow. He was the fastest runner on the Casper High Football Team... And he couldn't seem to run as fast as he wanted to, when Danny was hurt and crying in his arms...

"Danny?"

Dash's eyes looked about frantically. They finally found the source of the voice when the sound of wood hitting brick sounded out, and he turned to see the red headed boy, trembling in shock, right in from of him.

"_Danny!" _the boy rushed forward, trying to take Danny from the jocks arms. He yelled something profane, something Dash might have laughed at had Danny not been twitching helplessly in his arms. It wasn't until the burly man behind them, the black haired, green eyed man that Dash had seen in the stands at football games stepped forward.

"What happened?" He hissed, taking in Danny's appearance and Dash's, both boys crying and trembling... One from pain, and one from fear.

The blonde gasped, not really sure why the air around him was constricting so much. The park was spinning in intricate loops that zigzagged and bucked and twisted like a thrashing crocodile.

Dash didn't care what was happening right then... Danny was passing out, going limp, his breathing nearly stopping for a few short seconds...

"Get in the car. Get in the car _now._"

**_I am so so so so so sorry! _**

**_I know I've been slacking on this story and on the A/D one... but a lot has happened. I stayed con mi Abuela at her assisted living home and had to go through some court stuff against my mom, and some of my bfs friends just passed away. There's no excuse, I know, I know, and stuff happens, whatever. But thank you all for the lovely reviews and the amazing patience. You're all great, awesome people and I really appreciate everything :)_**

gabbygirl1234-

Please write more! I must know what happens... **_~~Thank you for reading :) Here ya go_**

ExtremeYaoi101-

Im in an author's note! :D Yay! So Danny had pretty bad family problems... his own dad tazed him. The first thing I thought of was from Drake and Josh, "DONT TAZE ME BRO!" xD **_~~Of course! I reply to everyone ^^ and I'm very glad that pleases you :) And I'm sorry if I made it unclear, but Danny's dad didn't taze him . It was the guys in white who came up unexpectedly because of the ghost activity who tazed Danny.. And I love Drake and Josh xD_**

midnight

did he get took by the Guys in White? _**~~This should explain it :) Dash did**_

TearsDrippingDown~

PLEASE UPDATE SOON! ~~**_I have! I'm sorry ._**

Guest:

FINISH FINISH FINISH I MUST KNOW THE ENDING **_I'll try to update as much as I can!_**

captainamerica16:

aldkfhawkhgaowidf omg please update i need more of this! omg so amazing! **_~~Thank you so much! :) i will upload soon! Thanks again! and I love your screen name :D_**


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